The story of God’s plan in action continues through the beginning of Exodus. God had a plan for Abraham’s descendants to inhabit the Promised Land, and Jacob and his family were indeed settled there.  But famine struck the region, and God led Jacob and his family down to Egypt where Joseph was in charge of the food supply.  The Israelites settled there and prospered for many years. How did a prospering people become slaves of a foreign ruler? Apparently, lack of education among the leaders of a country is not confined to America and current times.  The history of the … Continue reading Exodus 1-3:The wells

“No taxation without representation” seemed far from the Egyptians’ lips during the great famine recorded in these chapters.  The people were so hungry that they willingly gave Pharaoh all of their money for enough food to last them through the year.  The next year, they had no money, but they came to Joseph and pleaded with him to help them and their starving children.  So Joseph accepted their livestock as payment for a year’s worth of food. The famine prevailed yet again, and the people of Egypt willingly gave away themselves and their land to Pharaoh so they could feed … Continue reading Genesis 46-47:Filling the Famines

Today was a good day, but I am exhausted and spent. The one part of today’s reading that stood out to me is how strong Judah’s love was for his brother Benjamin and for his father, and he offered himself in his brother’s place. 30 “And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life. 31 If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave. 32 My … Continue reading Genesis 43-45:Irony in history

Sigh.  I just don’t understand Jacob. Did parents back then really play favorites with their children?  Perhaps I can’t relate because I only have one child, but I am a sister.  My parents did not honor one of us over the other.  Maybe that’s just another example of why polygamy is a bad idea. So Jacob sent all his remaining sons except Benjamin, the son of his union with Rachel, to Egypt to go buy grain during the famine.  Joseph had by that time gained Pharaoh’s trust and, for the last several years, was in charge of Egypt’s food supplies. … Continue reading Genesis 41-42:Playing Favorites